Davutoğlu’s Kirkuk visit boosted the morale of Turkmens

Iraqi Turkmen Front Turkey Representative Hicran Kazancı:”Davutoğlu’s historical visit is a sign that the Turkmens are a main actor in the political process of Iraq and no different from the other Arab and Kurdish political groups.”

ANKARA (AA) – 02.08.2012 – Erkan Avcı

Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) Turkey Representative Hicran Kazancı emphasized the importance of a visit to Kirkuk from Turkey for the first time in 75 years on a minister of foreign affairs level and indicated that Davutoğlu’s visit was a major source of morale for the Turkmens. Kazancı said, ”Davutoğlu’s historical visit is a sign that the Turkmens are a main actor in the political process of Iraq and no different from the other Arab and Kurdish political groups. ”

Dr.Kazancı indicated that in the past the visit of a high level authority from Turkey to Kirkuk had always been a great source of morale for the Turkmens and that because the visit was made by Ahmet Davutoğlu it made the occasion even more meaningful.

Dr.Kazancı emphasized that in its foreign policy in the region since 2003 Turkey had assessed the Turkmens among the significant elements and said:

”Many times Turkish authorities have said ‘all the sections in Iraq are our brothers but the Turkmens are our kin. The Turkmens are a bridge between the other sections there and Turkey’. Today this visit is an indicator that Turkey is behind the Turkmens there. It is an indicator that the Turkmen are a main actor in the political process of Iraq and no different from the other Arab and Kurdish political groups, that they are aligned in the same ranks.”

Dr.Kazancı emphasized that Davutoğlu’s visit to the resting place of the late Turkmen leader Necdet Koçak and Kirkuk Castle which is the resting place of officers who were martyred in the Ottoman era and the governor’s office held symbolic significance to the Turkmens.

“We have lived together with the Kurds for a long time ”

Dr. Kazancı indicated that the Turkmens had lived in peace with the other communities in Kirkuk saying, “Looking at the historical conjuncture it is evident that us Turkmens have lived intertwined with the Kurds for many years in the region. There are also Arabs in Kirkuk. As a political formation, the Iraqi Turkmen Front confers with all groups”.

ITF representative Kazancı said that with the US occupation in 2003 and the restructuring of Iraq the Turkmens had obtained significant rights but that these rights were not enough. Dr. Kazancı said, ”We are the third main element in Iraq following the Arabs and Kurds.
Three power centers are important for us being Baghdad, Arbil and Ankara. According to the population of the country we are the third element and we demand that the rights we have been given are exercised by the central government in Baghdad. However, I see that we have not sufficiently attained these rights. Looking at the Arbil centered government we are the second main element after the Kurds in that region which is why we must attain our rights there as well. These problems can best be resolved through negotiations.”
“Turkey is a country which spreads stability in its periphery “

Dr.Kazancı indicated that after 2003 Turkey had endeavored to have relations with all the groups in Iraq and these efforts had proved to be quite successful and underlined that Ankara had not only conferred with the Kurds but the Sunni and Shiite groups in Baghdad as well.

Dr.Kazancı said, ”Looking at the recent past we see that all Iraqi leaders have visited Turkey. For a millennium Turkey has been a country who sows stability in its periphery. Before the US intervention, Turkey indicated that any intervention in Iraq would not be a solution in this country, that it would bring ethnic and sectarian conflicts. Turkey tried to prevent the American intervention indicating that this would result in conflict which would reach all the way to Yemen. Looking at the events of today we can see how right Turkey was”.

“We warned the Turkmens in Syria ”

Hicran Kazancı said, “There is a community of approximately three million Turkmens living dispersed in the northern part of Syria” and said that the Turkmens in Syria had been warned not to remain outside the new political formation which would be established in the country.

Dr. Kazancı indicated that they were in constant contact with the Turkmens in Syria and said, ”After the events of the recent past the Turkmens were dispersed at first, they did not take part in the opposition. After they unite it is very important that a Turkmen is included in the National Council. We are constantly warning them not to remain outside the process. We had the same experience in Iraq.
Remaining outside the opposition means remaining outside the power as well ”.